New driver banned for flipping car on slip road

A MOTORIST who only passed his driving test six weeks before flipping his car on the A419 and putting his girlfriend into hospital for 11 days, has been banned from driving for nine months.

Swindon Magistrates’ Court heard how Daniel Penny, 25, of Eldene, had been driving his girlfriend around town on December 30 last year before picking up a couple of friends.

They had got on to the A419 when Penny’s girlfriend saw the slip road at the last minute and told Penny to turn off. The car hit the kerb and struck a tree before flipping on to its roof.

Collision investigators gathered the car had been going at excessive speed when it came off the road on the turning, and two tyres on Penny’s car had been severely worn, indicating high revs from a stationary position.

It is thought the state of the tyres were a significant factor in the incident.

Pauline Lambert, prosecuting, said: “PC Fair, part of the serious collision investigation team, inspected the car and the scene of the crash, which took place on the northbound exit slip road of the A419.

“He examined the vehicle the following day, which had sustained extensive damage to its front. It was clear the vehicle had struck a tree and had overturned.

“He found the nearside tyre was devoid of tread, which indicated it had been deliberately rotated at high speed while the vehicle was stationary or moving at a very low speed.

“In his opinion the damage was caused by the driver entering the slip road at excessive speed. At the sharp left-hand bend the driver had attempted to brake hard.

“Due to the damp road the driver lost control of the vehicle which left the road, colliding with the tree and turning over.

“The statement of one of the passengers says it occurred at around 11.30pm. Before the incident the driver had been going too fast.

“The front side passenger gave him last-minute instructions to leave the main road on to the slip road. She suffered damage to her neck and abdominal pain.

“The front seat passenger, the girlfriend of the driver, was in hospital for 11 days and described the injuries and the effect they had on her.”

Penny pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention and two counts of driving a vehicle with a tyre with any of the ply or cord exposed.

Tony Novogrodski, defending, said Penny had only recently obtained his licence, and was no longer using the roads.

“He is 25 years old and held a full driving licence for about six weeks, so he is fairly new on the road,” he said. “He was with his girlfriend and they picked up another couple of friends.

“They decided he would drive and carried on into that evening. On the road he saw the slip marker and took his foot off the accelerator. He touched the kerb and the car went straight into the tree.

“After the accident had been caused he told police exactly what had happened and reported the matter. Since the accident he has no longer been driving.

“He decided after the accident he would simply stop, and now goes the five miles to work on his bicycle.”

Penny was disqualified from driving for nine months, in addition to a £165 fine, court costs of £85 and a £20 victim surcharge.